Fatal Mistake
by Densetsuno Youko
Summary: Who knew that all it took was a mistake, a jewel, and an innocent child to change the life of Youko Kurama and the fate of the entire Makai race? And who knew that the same thing would demote Kuronue to the position of glorified babysitter? YYHxover!
1. State of Paralysis

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YYH.

Author's Notes: I never thought I'd go back to writing this crossover again, but here I am. :P My dissatisfaction with the recent Naruto developments had somehow (though I'm not quite sure how) led me back to writing Inuyasha/YYH crossovers. :) Though, I wonder if anyone still reads these kinds of stories…

**State of Paralysis **

_8/4/08 – 8/5/08 _

"…the Shikon no Tama…"

A small, pink jewel – no bigger than a pond pebble – flashed across the wide screen. Immediately, a chorus of whispers arose. Many found it hard to believe that the famed Shikon Jewel would appear so…plain and nondescript.

"…a powerful artifact thought to be lost…"

More scenes flashed across the screen. They were pictures of demons, warlords, and humans. It was a time before the world had been split between humans and demons – a time before the Ningenkai and the Makai had been formed.

"…its signature recently resurfaced…"

The scene changed to a more modern view – one of modern-day Japan. Quickly, the scene zoomed in and locked on the busy streets of Tokyo, where hundreds of humans were bustling back and forth trying to reach their next destination.

"…possibly bringing a new era of chaos and terror."

The lights turned back on, bringing the attention back to Koenma – the child ruler of Reikai. Slipping from his chair and moving to the front of his desk, he turned a serious look on the assembled team of Spirits Detectives. In a grave tone that contrasted sharply with his usual, cheerful voice, he softly intoned, "The Shikon Jewel _must _be recovered at all costs. The power it holds is unimaginable, and I fear that it will be used for evil if it falls into the wrong hands." Folding his arms behind his back, he continued, "The traces that we are picking up from the jewel are faint, but we were able to pinpoint it's location to Tokyo, Japan.

"If possible," he stopped, eyeing the Spirit Team wearily, "I want the Shikon no Tama retrieved in secret. _That_," he emphasized, "Means I want it done without causing a scene." He stopped again, sucking rapidly on his pacifier in deep thought. "However," he reluctantly added, "If that plan is not feasible, you may try to take the jewel by force. But remember, only use force as a _last _resort!"

"Yes sir!"

"Here are seven radars, one for each of you." Koenma continued as George – his personal ogre assistant – passed a compass-like device to each team member. "The radar will begin to beep louder and faster the closer you get to the Shikon no Tama. As soon as you find the jewel, report immediately back to me, understand?"

"Yes sir!"

"Dismissed!" he finished, watching as the seven Spirit Detectives shuffled out of his office. As soon as the last Spirit Detective left, leaving only the ogre, Koenma slipped back into his chair and groaned in misery.

"Koenma sir, what's wrong?" George asked, shooting his master a confused look.

"Do you have any idea what Father will do to me if I lose the Shikon no Tama?" Koenma demanded through clenched teeth, glaring at his blue-skinned assistant as if he was the cause of all his problems. "He'd spank me so hard I'll never be able to sit again! And knowing _those _bumblingidiots," he said, referring to the Spirit Detectives that had just left his office, "Even though I told them to take the Shikon without causing a scene, they'll use force anyway! Which, I'm guessing," he groused, "Will cause even more trouble in the future!"

George gulped as he cowered away from the angry demi-god. "Then," he slowly ventured, "Why don't you send Yusuke and his team instead?"

"Are you stupid or just plain dumb?" Koenma screamed, bonking George upside the head with his fist. "The Dark Tournament is beginning tomorrow (which reminds me, I better get going too). If I send Yusuke and company now, Team Urameshi will have to forfeit the tournament, which would spell death for all of us!"

"I'm sorry, Koenma sir!" George cried, clutching his head. With recent events, he had completely forgotten the Dark Tournament! "Should I go pack out bags and get ready to depart for Hanging Neck Island?"

"Well, what do you think?" Koenma shouted.

"R-Right away, sir!" George cried as he scampered out of the room. As soon as he exited the office, he fell against the wall and sighed. For everyone's sake, he prayed that the Shikon no Tama would be safely retrieved and locked away.

Otherwise, he shuddered to think what King Enma would do to all of them…

* * *

"It's here."

Their radars were beating wildly, alerting them to the ominous presence of the Shikon no Tama. However, no matter where they searched or looked, there were no signs of the famed jewel.

"If this thing doesn't shut up, I'm going to smash it pieces!" hissed one of them, glaring at the device in his hand. The radar had been beeping nonstop since they had left Koenma's office seven hours ago, and many of them were beginning to believe they had been given a faulty device.

"Why don't we just ask the damn old man who runs the stupid shrine?" another demanded, peering down at the old priest who was sweeping the shrine steps. "The radar is beeping the loudest here." They had been searching nonstop for hours and he was tired and hungry, and he just wanted the whole thing done!

"But Koenma-sama specified that he wanted this mission completed in secrecy." the youngest member protested, fearing the consequences of his senior's actions. "Plus, even on normal missions, we never show ourselves to humans!"

"But we're _not _on a normal mission." he argued. "And Koenma-sama said that we should retrieve the Shikon at _all _costs. What's wrong with asking if the old man has seen the Shikon no Tama?"

"How would a human even know what the Shikon is?" he retorted.

"That's enough!" the team leader cut in, silencing the entire team. "We'll search for a bit longer. If nothing turns up, we'll –" he stopped, holding up a hand to silence his teammates (who had startled into chaos at his abrupt stop) when he suddenly heard the old man mention something that piqued his interest.

"Ah, come here, come here!" the old man beckoned, waving towards a pair of young girls who were visiting the shrine with their parents. "May I interest you in the Shikon no Tama?" he asked, pulling out a small jewel attached to a tag. "This is a very powerful relic…"

"It's the Shikon!" one of the Spirit Detectives cried.

"I knew it!" echoed another.

"Wait –" cried the team leader. However, before he could even finish, three of his teammates had already knocked out the visitors and apprehended the old man. "Don't be rash…" he quietly finished, sighing heavily. Sometimes, he clenched his teeth; he really wanted to strangle them!

Shaking his head, he motioned for the other three to stay as he went to greet the old priest. However, as he neared them, he was surprised to find his teammates and the old man locked in a heated argument.

"Unhand me, you fiends! Demons! Curs! Blasted –"

"Shut up, old man!"

"I'm a fully trained priest, you devil! If you don't unhand me this instant, I will purify you and –"

"Look, just hand over the Shikon no Tama and we'll leave."

"I will never give the Shikon to demons!"

"You were going to sell it anyway! What difference does it make? And, we're _not _demons!" The Spirit Detective was at the end of his wit…and his patience. Deciding that it was pointless to waste time arguing with an aged human (who was clearly delusional), he forgone trying to ask nicely and directly seized the Shikon. Pushing the old man aside when he tried to grab it back, he belatedly realized that the priest (despite his curses and screams that would have put any self-respecting demon to shame) was only human…

"Grandpa!" screamed a young girl who had just exited the shrine. Screaming, she rushed to the old priest's side and immediately began to fall into hysterics.

"I-I…" the Spirit Detective stuttered. H-He hadn't meant to do that!

"Saino! What in the world do you think you were doing? Or were you thinking at all? How could you have killed a human!" shouted the team captain. "Even if it's for the Shikon no Tama, your actions are detestable and unforgivable! Do you honestly think Koenma-sama will be pleased?"

"I-I didn't know…"

"Y-You," the girl cried, tears streaming down her pale face as she clutched her grandpa's bleeding head. "You killed my grandpa! Give him back! Give him back!" she screamed, glaring at the Spirit Detectives with loathing and hatred.

"We didn't mean to harm your grandfather." the female member of their team tried to soothe. "We can bring your grandfather to Koenma-sama. He can…" she trailed off when she realized, much to her chagrin, that her attempts to soothe the girl had the opposite effect.

The girl, upon seeing the rest of the Spirit Detectives approach, had immediately scrambled back in fear. Though she had wanted to stay with her grandpa, fear kept her at bay. Despite the woman's soothing tone, she couldn't help but wonder if they going to kill her too.

"Saino, take the priest." the captain ordered, glaring at his teammate (who was oddly subdued for once). "We'll take this situation to Koenma. However, _you _will be the one to explain the situation."

For once, he didn't argue and simply nodded his head. Easily picking the man off the ground, he stopped in mid-motion when he saw the girl looking at him with a mixture of fear and loathing. Deciding not to make the situation worse, he quickly took the body and left.

"Meiya, get the girl. We'll bring her with us." the captain hurriedly continued, trying to clear the scene before more people arrived at the shrine and saw the 'accident'. Belatedly, he realized that he should have phrased his words a little better because the girl, upon hearing his words, immediately turned tail and ran.

Instinctively, they instantly gave chase, scaring the girl into tripping down the hundreds of flights of shrine steps. Horrified, the six remaining Spirit Detectives quickly hurried forwards, trying to catch the girl before she fell and killed herself. "Damn," they cursed, tripping over each other to save her.

However, just as the captain thought he had caught her (preventing her pummel towards death), she suddenly disappeared in a burst of blue light that caused all of them to recoil back in shock. Once the light receded, they were equally stumped and horrified to find that she was gone.

"Curses!" one of them hissed.

What in the world were they supposed to tell Koenma?

* * *

"You _what_?" shrieked Koenma, jumping over his desk. "Wait, let me get this straight: You _killed_ an old man, scared a five-year-old girl into jumping down hundreds of flights of stairs, and then made her disappear from the face of this planet…for _this_?" he screamed, holding up the Shikon they had taken from the old priest.

"…"

"This is just a stupid rock!" Koenma screamed.

"Technically," George cut in, hoping to smooth over the situation. "It's a magical jewel with very impressive powers!"

"I know that, idiot!" Koenma shouted back. "But this isn't even the real Shikon no Tama! I meant it literally when I said that this was just a stupid piece of rock! Now look and see what you've done! You killed a _human _over a rock! A rock! What do you want me to say to Father? Oh, he's going to _kill _me! And it's all _your_ fault!" he finished, pointing an accusing fingers at the assembled members.

The Spirit Detectives winced.

"Oh…" he moaned, pacing rapidly back and forth. Just what in the world was he supposed to do? He knew it! He just knew those bumbling idiots were going to mess up! But he hadn't imagined that they would have done something like _this_!

"Koenma-sama…" Meiya began, trying to turn the young spirit ruler's attention back to the missing girl. It was their fault that she had disappeared, and she wanted to at least ascertain that she was somewhere safe.

"George!" Koenma hollered, ignoring Meiya.

"Yes sir!" he promptly answered.

"Call Botan and let her know that I'll have to postpone my trip Hanging Neck Island. Also," he added before the ogre ran out of the room, "Remind her to call me when everyone arrives safely on the island!"

"Yes, Koenma-sir! Right away, sir!" answered George, tripping over himself in his haste to get out of the room. He had a suspicion that things were going to get messy in there, and he didn't want to be around to witness it.

Once the ogre had left, Koenma gravely continued. "I can offer the old priest the same trial that I offered Yusuke. Whether he takes it or not is his choice. As for the girl, I have no clue where she is. According to the records, her name is Kagome Higurashi – the descendent of a long line of mikos and priests. Her mother and father died when she was only two, leaving her in the care of her grandfather."

If possible, the Spirit Detectives felt even worse. Silently, they wondered if the young spirit ruler was telling them these things on purpose. Sadly, they wouldn't put it pass him to make their lives miserable simply because they had made _him _miserable.

"The girl herself isn't what concerns me." Koenma continued, causing the Spirit Detectives' eyebrows to shoot up. "I don't mean that I don't care!" he hissed, pouting at an imaginary point on the wall. "I just think…I fear that the Shikon no Tama may have been behind her sudden disappearance."

"What do you mean, Koenma-sama?" Meiya asked, voicing her companions' thoughts. For the first time since they had returned from their mission, they realized that their mistake may have cost them more than one human life.

"It means –" Koenma abruptly stopped when the office door suddenly slammed open. "What is the meaning of this, ogre?" he demanded when he spotted George. "Can't you see that I'm in the middle of an important discussion? Are you stupid? Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"K-Koenma-sir!" cried George, ignoring the young ruler's berates. "Botan isn't answering my call!"

"So?" Koenma asked. "Maybe she forgot to turn it on."

"N-No!" he protested, wheezing for breath. "I thought it was strange that Botan wasn't answering, so I investigated further and found that everyone has been paralyzed! No one's moving! Not even the ship that Yusuke and the others are on! Even the waters are still!"

"What?" Koenma hissed, his eyes growing large. "Move aside!" he ordered as he turned on the screen and zoomed in on Yusuke and company. To his horror, he found that the situation was exactly like what George had described. Nothing was moving. No one was breathing. Everything was frozen in place – even Hiei, who was suspended in mid-air by an unseen force. Even the waters had stopped flowing.

"What could have done this?" one of the detectives whispered.

"Everyone and everything in Ningenkai has been frozen." Koenma whispered, not quite believing what he was seeing. Every place he checked, it was the same. Planes were suspended in mid-air – unmoving and unchanging. People were stopped in mid-motion – held in place by an invisible force.

"It's a good thing we were detained, right Koenma-sir?" George asked, trying to stay optimistic. "If we had gone, we would have bee frozen too, right?"

"Hm," Koenma absently agreed, narrowing his eyes in thought as a few pieces of the mystery finally fell into place. "Quick," he suddenly shouted, startling everyone out of their thoughts and into confused action, "Contact Gwen, the bounty hunter we had stationed in Makai!"

"Do you think the same thing is happening there?"

"I don't know." Koenma answered, furrowing his brow. "But I have a feeling that…"

"Koenma-sama!" shouted George. "The sources are indicating that Gwen is gone! Like…as if he had never existed!"

The Spirit Detectives immediately rounded on the ogre. "What do you mean?" they demanded. It was preposterous! "How could Gwen suddenly disappear? We don't have time for your jokes –"

"It's not a joke." Koenma cut in, slumping against his chair. "It's as I feared."

"W-What is it, Koenma-sir?" George asked, frightened. He had never Koenma like this before! Not even when he had heard the Dark Tournament challenge issued from Toguro! What could possibly have happened to cause the pale, frightened expression on Koenma's face?

After a moment, just when the Spirit Detectives were going to fall into panic, Koenma spoke. "Time has stopped in Ningenkai," he stated, staring unseeingly at a point in space. "And history is changing in Makai."

"W-We don't understand."

"George, bring me the book, _History of Makai_ – it's a fairly accurate historical account of Makai's history. It's a book written by demons for demons. My father, King Enma, happened across this book by chance. It is a demonic book linked to Makai. If I'm right, then…"

"Here it is, Koenma-sir!"

Accepting the thick tome, he quickly flipped through the book, showing the Spirit Detectives what he had feared. The book, which had always been filled with thousands upon thousands of pages detailing the long and brutal history of Makai…was completely bare. The pages were devoid of ink and words…

"That girl – the girl you chased – had the Shikon no Tama." Koenma explained, closing the book. "I'm not sure how it happened, but something must have triggered the Shikon. If I'm right, then that girl didn't simply disappear. She traveled back in time."

"What…?"

Sighing impatiently, Koenma clarified: "That girl – Kagome's disappearance triggered a series of events. My guess is, in order to prevent a Time Paradox, the Shikon no Tama stopped time in present-day Ningenkai so that when Kagome traveled back in time, she wouldn't accidentally erase herself from history (thus, negating the events). In this case, I will also have to assume that Kagome has either traveled so far into the past that the barriers between Ningenkai and the Makai have not been formed yet, or she has traveled into Makai's past."

"Why Makai?" asked George, scratching his head.

"I don't know!" Koenma screamed, irritated at being interrupted. "But the fact that the _History of Makai _is blank proves that Makai's history is being rewritten. And the only one capable of changing time is Kagome and the Shikon no Tama!"

"But wouldn't changing events in Makai change events in Ningenkai?" George asked again before immediately ducking to avoid the cup that Koenma had thrown at him. "Sorry!" he squeaked.

"Weren't you listening, ogre?" Koenma shouted. "I already said that the Shikon no Tama paralyzed Ningenkai in a way so that changes made in Makai history will not be able to affect Ningenkai; so therefore, deaths caused by changes in Makai's history will not affect anyone's existence – including Kagome's existence – in Ningenkai. In effect, it means that the Shikon has completely separated Ningenkai from Makai.

"Theoretically, I'm guessing that time will resume in Ningenkai once Kagome returns. However, demons in Ningenkai will not be aware of the changes made in Makai. Which, by the way, will cause mass chaos and panic!" he shouted, ending in a shrill voice. "And, if I'm correct again, I'm guessing that the Shikon left Reikai untouched because it expects _us _to calm the mass panic and chaos that will descend upon us once time resumes in Ningenkai. Demons in Ningenkai will be unfamiliar with the changes made in Makai, and the demons in Makai will not understand why the demons in Ningenkai don't know about any of the new changes. In effect, we're doomed!"

George's eyes swirled with confusion as he toppled over. What in the world was Koenma explaining? His explanation, combined with a mini-rant, had successfully sent his mind into overdrive! The whole thing with time and paradoxes had turned his brain into mush!

"What should we do then?" Meiya asked, interrupting Koenma's screams of unforeseen horror. "Is there any way we can travel back in time too to stop Kagome from changing time?"

Clutching his hand, Koenma moaned and shook his head. "I don't know! I don't know!" What was he going to do? History was changing in Makai! Ningenkai was frozen in time! He could already see the chaos once time resumed and demons from Ningenkai and Makai mixed. There would be questions, confusion…things that even he, himself, wouldn't be able to explain!

"Kami save us!" he cried, barely keeping himself from bursting into tears.

They were doomed.

* * *

TBC

Author's Note: Well, I hope I didn't confused anyone too much. If you don't understand my explanation, it's okay. You can just ignore it and take my word for the rest of the events in the story. :P But if anyone _must _understand it, you're welcome to read and reread it until it makes sense. :) Joking!

Really, all I'm saying (for those confused) is that the Shikon split the Ningenkai and Makai in a way that events changing in Makai will not affect Ningenkai (thus, it won't erase anyone from existence). Time will, presumably, be restored once Kagome returns. However, the people in Ningenkai will not be aware of the events or changes made in Makai…and vice versa.


	2. A Thief's Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YYH.

**A Thief's Life**

_8/8/08 – 8/12/08_

_…Sengoku Jidai – 550 Years in the Past…_

The heist had been a success. They had, quite easily, infiltrated the demon's palace and stolen the treasured mirror rumored to hold the power to grant the beholder's deepest wish. Of course, nothing was free, and the wish would (undoubtedly) come at a hefty price. However, it was a price that neither of them planned to pay.

More than the treasure or wish itself, they had stolen the mirror to make a name for themselves as thieves, the easiest and quickest way to attain power and wealth. Even though they were already well-known figures throughout the land, they weren't the only thieves around. To gain power and respect, they had to achieve what other thieves could not. They had to be constantly five steps ahead of them.

"They've sent the hounds after us."

They ran swiftly, easily dodging the guards after them – his partner half a step behind him. At that moment, he felt invincible, as if nothing could go wrong. Yet, even as the thought was passing his mind, everything suddenly came crashing to a halt as his partner skidded to a stop, turning sharply back for the necklace that had broken from his neck.

"Kuronue, no!" he heard someone scream before he realized the cry had been wrung from his own voice.

Bamboo rained down from above.

Kuronue screamed as the bamboo pierced through his body.

There was no time to think. Turning, he sprinted towards his partner. He didn't know why he cared so much, but he couldn't…he just couldn't…

"No!"

Youko stopped, a mixture of confusion and pain warring across his face. What was he saying? He was going to _die_!

"Go! Forget about me! _Go!_"

Time seemed to still as he stared at his friend. W-What…?

"GO!"

The desperation in his partner's cry snapped him out of his quandary. With a last look, ignoring the almost physical pain in his heart, he quickly turned and fled – finding it to be the most painful thing he had done in his life.

Unbidden, he felt his eyes moisten, but he refused to look back again…

This was the life they had chosen.

* * *

The pendant dangled from his fingers.

He had no doubt that he would die here. Even if he didn't bleed to death from the wounds, the guards would find him soon enough. It was sad, really. To be brought down by a trap where battles, conspiracies, and assassinations had failed…

It was pitiful.

Folding his fingers over the pendant, he closed his eyes and resigned himself to the inevitable. Yet, despite the darker than grim situation, he found himself smiling and taking comfort in the knowledge that his partner had, at least, gotten safely away with the treasure.

The treasure…

It was a pity that he wouldn't be able to see the old dog's face for himself when he realized that even though the traps had caught him, the mirror would forever be lost and beyond his reach.

He laughed out loud then, wondering if he finally snapped and gone insane. If Youko could see him now… He shook his head. _Youko_… For a moment, he had feared the stupid fox was going to completely disregard his warnings to stay back. If had tried to save him…if he had stayed…Was that it? Was that the problem? Had he secretly hoped that, despite his protests, he would have stayed?

Yes. Yes he had.

But, he also knew that if Youko had stayed, he would have been caught too. The bamboos pierced through his body contained spells meant to seal a demon's youki and movement. Even though he had no doubt that Youko would have found a way to break the sealing spells given time, time was something they didn't have. The guards would have caught them long before he figured out how to break the seal. So, in that sense, he was relieved that he had, for once, listened to him.

Yet, he couldn't shake off the slight feeling of…hurt? Despite what he had said, had he hoped that he would have stayed?

He wasn't sure.

Shaking his head, Kuronue laughed again. What was he doing? He was thinking entirely too much for a demon who was about to die. Even now, he could see the guards' approach.

Though a little unsatisfying, this was –

Kuronue squinted, trying to block out the sudden onslaught of light. What kind of cosmic joke was this? He had heard of humans – mostly priests or priestesses – seeing the 'light' on their deathbed. But this? This was ridiculous! He was a demon…and _not_ a very nice one at that.

The light receded, making him wonder if he had died…or gone blind. But then, he heard the cry of a little human girl and he was sure he had gone straight to hell. Cracking open a dark eye, he stared at the young child sprawled on the ground less than three feet away from him.

What in the world…?

The little girl lifted her head, giving him a good look at her tear-stained, cherubic face. It sickened him to know that some humans could look so…angelic. Then again, was she human at all? She had, after all, appeared in a mass of blue light.

"W-Where am I?" she asked, looking curiously around, appearing as confused as he felt. Then, her eyes locked on him and she gasped.

Humans, Kuronue tiredly sneered, they were all the same. He smirked, allowing her to see his fangs. He expected her to scream and run away like the others of her kind. But then, she surprised him by closing the distance between them and asking a question that had him questioning again if she was entirely human: "A-Are you hurt?"

"Get away from here." he rasped, surprising himself. Was he actually trying to _save _her? A human? Closing his eyes, he decided that would be the one good deed in his life. Somehow, he found himself musing; doing a good deed didn't feel as good as some people made it out to be.

He cracked open an eye. To his irritation, the girl was still there. Absently, he wondered if the girl even knew that she was in danger of being caught by demon guards. Though, even if he had wanted to warn her again (not that he had the intention), he found that he was too tired to speak.

He slowly closed his eye again, unable to keep it open. He never really cared about human lives anyway – innocent or not. If she was too dumb to heed a warning, she deserved to…

His eyes snapped open when he felt a cool hand against his cheek. What did the girl think she was doing? He wasn't sure if he was more shocked that the girl had stayed or if she had touched him.

"Go!" he hissed, knowing that it was only seconds before the guards caught them both. But, to his shock again, the little girl resolutely shook her head and reached for the bamboos pierced through his body. "It's useless –"

"I-I'm not going!" she sniffled, cutting him off as she closed her tiny fists around the bamboo with both hands. "I won't!" With a cry, she tugged as hard as she could. To his surprise, the bamboo disintegrated under her touch. He watched her work, too tired to be surprised, but to curious to look away.

Just as the last bamboo disintegrated under her touch, she slumped forward in a dead faint. He didn't have time to contemplate his action. Even as he cursed her foolish, human kindness, he picked her up and ran. He didn't know why he bothered. Maybe he _had_ gone insane. Under normal circumstances (even if he had been fully fit), he would have left her behind. After all, he had no qualms about biting the hand that fed him.

But now, here was his chance to escape and he was using what little strength to save a human? Deciding to save the deep thinking for later, he pushed himself forward, ignoring the agony that each step brought.

* * *

Kagome awoke with a splitting headache. It reminded her of the time she had split open her head after falling out of the family 'Boku tree. She winced at the memory. _That _had really hurt! But, she smiled; her grandpa had patched her up!

However, as soon as she remembered her grandpa, her bottom lip trembled. This time, she understood, there wouldn't be a grandpa to nurse her back to health. A mixture of tears and snot slid down chin as she recalled her grandpa's murder. She had hoped the memory had been a nightmare! Like that time… that time she had dreamed that grandpa had flushed Buyo down the toilet!

Inhaling deeply, swallowing the snot that slithered down her throat, she scrunched her nose when she smelled the strong, metallic scent of blood. Opening her eyes, feeling as if they had been glued shut, she stared confusedly at the bleeding arm draped over her shoulders.

W-Wha…?

Controlling her fear, she quickly slipped under the arm and scooted back. She stared at the strangely dressed, but surprisingly good-looking man with confusion. Why did he seem so familiar?

Oh!

She remembered now! He had been trapped by magic sticks that disappeared when she touched them! Fear eased at the knowledge that she wouldn't be harmed, she moved back towards the man and gently prodded him in the cheek, hoping that he would awaken. However, to her growing worry, he didn't even twitch.

Biting her lip, she stood and tried to roll him onto his back. That was when she finally noticed the pair of wings attached to his shoulders. Curious, she went around and tugged at the wings, wondering if it was detachable.

It didn't budge.

Eye lighting with wonderment, she giggled with excitement. She had found an angel! Maybe…maybe the angel could bring her grandpa back! Redoubling her efforts to awaken the angel-winged man, she remembered that her grandpa had washed and dressed her wounds in bandages when she had been hurt!

Standing again, she looked around for some water and cloth. Not seeing any, she looked a little farther. Without realizing it, she began wandering farther and farther away. By the time she found enough water, she had already walked more than half a mile away from her original place.

Cupping the icy, pond water in her hands, she stood. At her sudden movement, the water sloshed out of her hands. Undeterred, she cupped some more water and stood at a slower pace – careful to keep the water in her hands. However, she had only taken two steps when the water completely drained through her fingers.

Frowning, she went back and tried again. However, no matter what she did, she always ended with the same results. The farthest she had gone was half-way before the water completely disappeared. Glaring at the pond as if it was purposefully eluding her attempts to save the black angel, she decided that she would try again later – after she drank something.

Cupping the water again, she brought some to her lips, enjoying the cool water as it sloshed down her parched throat.

That was it!

Bringing the water to her mouth again, she held the cold liquid in her mouth as she hurriedly raced back. Tired, but happy it had worked, she allowed the water to dribble out of her mouth and onto one of the angry wounds on the man's body. Then, using the edge of her skirt, she tried to clean the wound to the best of her ability.

Satisfied, she quickly ran back to the pond and repeated the process several times. By the time she had treated all the wounds she could find, both her skirt and the sleeve of her shirt was dyed a deep, dark red. Exhausted, she plopped onto the ground beside him. As she rested for a moment, watching him from tired, half-lidded eyes, she heard him ask for water.

Ignoring the protests of her own body, she quickly ran back to the pond again. Bringing the water he asked for, she rolled him onto his back. Then, hovering over his face, she tried her best to let the water dribble from her lips to his.

Just as the last drip left her mouth, splattering against his cheek, his eyes opened, revealing a beautiful set of indigo-blue eyes. Enraptured, Kagome smiled with a mixture of relief and joy. He was okay…he was going to be…

Without warning, she burst into tears.

She had been so scared!

If Kuronue had been confused to see a little girl hovering above his face, it was nothing compared to the shock he felt when the same little human suddenly burst into tears for no apparent reason.

What in the world had he done to deserve this?

Couldn't he even _die _in peace?

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, I have to admit that trying to figure out how to fit everything into a logical timeline is harder than I thought – especially since some sources say that Youko is supposed to be over 3000 years old. And that is…old. So, we'll forget all that and just say he's around 450. :P Oh, and he has _not _met Yomi yet.

None of this is important though – just me rambling. Also, I'll be keeping the chapters short so I can update more often. :) Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Cur Niue

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YYH

**Cur-Niue**

_8/25/08 – 8/27/08 _

Kuronue listened absently to the little girl's chatter as he tried to sort through his thoughts on his near-death experience. He would've ­– _should've _– died in that forest, and if salvation hadn't come in the form of a strange, irritatingly-talkative child, he was sure he would have. Not that he was complaining – at least, not the surviving part. As for the child herself, he was beginning to regret _not _leaving her behind.

Less than three minutes and she was already talking his ears off.

"…So I put the water in my mouth…"

Licking his dry lips, Kuronue grimaced. No wonder he could taste human spit in his mouth. He was torn being amused that the girl had tried to give him water through her mouth, and disgust that she had actually done it.

"So, what's your name angel-san?"

Angel…? Following the girl's eyes to his wings, Kuronue blinked. Then, before he could control himself, he found himself chuckling at the girl's assumption. If nothing else, she was at least amusing.

"Angel-san?" she prompted again.

Deciding to scare the child a little, he corrected. "I'm a demon, not an angel."

The girl gave him a suspicious look. "A demon…? Not an angel?" she repeated, carefully examining his beautiful, black wings. Did that mean he couldn't bring back her grandpa? Her bottom lip trembled at the thought. She had thought…thought that he was an angel!

Kuronue shifted slightly, feeling strangely uncomfortable when he scented her unshed tears. Even though he was convinced that he didn't care, he found himself trying to comfort her anyway. "I'm not going to hurt you." he said, mistaking her tears for panic and fear.

"I-I know you wouldn't hurt me, demon-san." the girl answered, sniffling loudly before offering him a large, watery smile. "You're too nice."

Now, _that _was just plain insulting.

Narrowing his eyes, he said, "You trust too easily, human. How do you know I won't hurt you? Have you no fear of demons? Even in this state, I could easily end your life with minimal effort."

Kagome blinked. What did the state have to do with anything? And what was 'mini-male _f_-fort'? Blinking, she tuned out his words and asked her own question. "What kind of demon are you, demon-san?"

Kuronue's eye twitched. Had she even listened? Humans! They were all the same. Dumb and foolish! Still, deciding to amuse the child with an answer, he countered, "Isn't it obvious?" Lowering his eyelids to half-mast, he whispered, "I'm a bat demon."

The girl's eyes widened with excitement. "You mean like batman?"

Kuronue gave a disgruntled snort. He didn't know what 'batman' was, but he didn't like the sound of it. It sounded…stupid. "Human –"

"My name isn't human, dummy!" the child giggled.

Kuronue snorted. He hoped not. Or else he would be forced to reevaluate the human race's stupidity. "Then what is your name, child?"

"It's Kagome, demon-san!"

"Kuronue," he supplied. Somehow, the reference 'demon-san' rubbed him the wrong way. Had she felt the same when he called her human? Seeing the confusion in the girl's eye, he explained, "My name."

The girl clapped her hands in glee, surprising him that something as simple as a name could bring her so much joy. "Cur-Niue!" she happily chirped, causing his to wince at the butcher of his name.

"Kuronue," he repeated.

"Niue-chan!" she giggled loudly, flopping beside him in an undignified heap.

Looking heavenward for help, Kuronue silently asked for strength and patience where the human child was concerned. Looking down, he quirked an eyebrow in question when he felt the girl curl against his body, pressing her face firmly into side. Sighing, he felt his eyes soften slightly as he gently laid his hand on the girl's small head. For reasons beyond even his own understanding, he couldn't bring himself to push her away.

Closing his eyes, he decided to consider his strangely human decisions another time – preferably when his weakened body wasn't affecting his rational mind – for there was simply no other way to describe his sudden attachment to the human. Either way, he told himself, he could always get rid of the girl later if she proved to be a nuisance.

* * *

Yawning slightly, Kagome slowly sat up as she looked blearily around. "Good morning, Niue-chan!" she greeted, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Yawning again, she looked back to find his gaze focused intently on a point in the distance. Squinting, she tried to see what he was seeing. However, no matter how hard she tried to look, all she could see were trees…and more trees. "Niue-chan…?"

Kuronue didn't answer as he struggled to stand, digging his fingers into the tree for support. Even though the bleeding had stopped, he was far from fully recovered. He estimated that it would take another week or so before he would be well enough to start looking for his partner.

Grimacing, he startled slightly when he felt the little girl wrap her arms around his uninjured leg, trying to support his weight. Though her efforts were largely (or purely) in vain, Kuronue felt oddly…touched? He snorted. Touched? What kind of sentimental fool had he become?

A streak of energy – the same one he had sensed before – alerted him to the presence of another demon. Placing a hand on Kagome's head to still her movement, he told her to hide. However, much to his growing ire, she violently shook her head in the negative. "I'm not leaving you!" she firmly told him, looking even more agitated than he felt, making him wonder if she could sense the demon's energy as well.

Gritting his teeth – half in pain and half in annoyance – he used the energy he had regained to form his favored weapon – a kusarigama made from the coldest ice known to demon-kind. Holding the scythe in one hand, he twirled the ball in the other. Even though the energy he sensed belonged to a low-class demon, he didn't want to take any chances in his weakened state.

"I will not warn you again," Kuronue hissed without shifting his eyes from the direction where he had sensed the unknown demon's approach. "Get out of here." After a momentary pause, he hesitantly added, "I'll be fine." He didn't stop to question why he bothered to assuage her fears instead of simply killing the disobedient child himself. All he knew was that he wanted her as far away from the battle as possible.

Giving his leg another warm squeeze, Kagome whispered a tearful, "Be careful," before reluctantly leaving his side. Immediately, Kuronue felt himself relax as he focused all of his attention on the demon that crashed out of the forest. Looking over his opponent, he reflexively felt his lips curve in a disgusted sneer when he realized that the demon had nothing but his massive size to boast.

"I smell a human!" the demon bellowed, his voice causing the earth beneath him to shake with the intensity of the vibrations. "Give her to me!" His jaws snapped, giving him a good view of the sharp sets of teeth that lined his mouth. "Give me the human, and I'll spare you."

Kuronue lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed.

Loosing its patience, the demon charged.

Bracing himself against the trunk, he lazily twirled the scythe in arching circles by the thin, string-like chain. Once the roaring demon was within range, he released his hold on the scythe, letting it shoot forward with unexpected speed and accuracy, and sliced the demon's head clean of its shoulders. The body crashed a moment later, causing a minor tremor as it landed a foot away from its head.

Unfazed, Kuronue slowly turned his head towards Kagome, waiting for her to run away screaming. He watched, feeling unexpectedly…hurt…as she stared at his with wide, disbelieving eyes. If her eyes opened any wider, he was afraid her eyeballs would pop out of their sockets.

Just as he was turning away, deciding to move on, he heard her whispered in an awe-filled voice, "Niue-chan! You're the bestest ever!" Stopping, he blinked in confusion as he waited for her to catch up with him. A little dazed by her fearless proclamation, it took him a moment to realize that she had latched onto his leg…again. Settling his hand on her head, he gave her a moment to finish her gushes of praise.

"…You're better than batman!" she grinned with childish abandon.

Kuronue snorted. One would hope so.

* * *

As they traveled by night later that day, going at an agonizingly slow pace due to his injured leg, Kuronue was forced to reconsider his earlier decision concerning the child. Did he _really _want to care for a child – a _human _child?

The answer was a resounding no.

He was a thief, and thieves (especially of the demon sort) simply didn't keep little children around – human or otherwise. Even if he wanted to keep the human child (which he didn't), he was positive Youko would be against the idea. He might even kill the girl. As far as his partner went, he wouldn't put _anything _past him.

Decision made, he concluded that it was best for all of them if he left her in the next human village. However, he would make sure the village was safe and suitable for a human girl. It would be a pity if she died now after he went through all that thinking and planning…

A loud rumble disrupted his thoughts.

Looking down at the girl beside him who had suddenly gone silent at the sound of the rumble, his eyes glittered with amusement. Turning his head away, he quietly listened for a moment, his sharpened hearing picking up everything within a three-mile radius.

"This way," he said, heading towards the path that he had been avoiding. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Kagome happily followed without question. It never ceased to amaze him how utterly trusting and infinitely foolish humans were. Still, he had a hard to suppressing the small smirk that graced his lips when the little girl immediately began chattering again about random things – nonsense mostly.

Seeing the road, he told Kagome to stay as he stepped into the path of a young couple, blocking their way. At the sight of them, the couple immediately screamed and reeled back in fear. "Demon!" they screamed, blanketing the area in a think layer of fear. They trembled, clutching at each other as they stared at the winged monster donning the face of an extremely handsome human.

"You have two choices," Kuronue drawled, folding his arms as he pinned the couple with a cold, calculating look. "You can leave your stuff or you can leave your lives." His eyes flashed, giving him an eerily dangerous look.

"H-Here!" they trembled as they placed their bags at his feet. Then, scooting past him, they made a run for the village – no doubt to warn the others.

Rummaging through the bags, he easily found the money pouch. Discarding the other things he found as junk, he returned to Kagome, handing her the money. However, to his chagrin, she refused to even touch it.

"You stole it!" she told him, frowning.

_How perceptive_, he duly noted. "In a sense of the word, yes, I did." he answered, wondering what was ailing her now.

"That's bad!" she told him, as if she was scolding a wayward dog.

Amusement immediately flickered in his eyes. "Oh?" he asked, leaning to his left to take the weight off his injured leg. It was a good thing it was dark, or else the humans would have seen his wounds. "And who told you that?"

"My grandpa," she promptly answered.

"He may have a point there," Kuronue conceded. "But," he grinned, allowing his sharp fangs to peek over his bottom lip, "Only sometimes." Knowing that he had baffled the child, he asked, "Do you want to know a secret?"

Jumping, Kagome giggled, "Yes, yes, of course!"

Leaning down so he could whisper in the child's ear, he said, "It's all right to steal as long as you don't get caught."

Kagome cocked her head in question.

"Think of it this way," he said, straightening his back. "You steal to make the world a better place. Obviously, if anyone lets their things be stolen, they don't deserve it. So, it's all right to steal things from stupid people."

"Really?" asked Kagome, looking highly skeptical.

"Really." he answered, feeling no shame or remorse over his statement. "Now come, your stomach is growling again."

Twining her hand around his fingers, Kagome looked up innocently and asked, "So it's all right to steal as long as you don't get caught?"

Kuronue smirked, "Of course."

* * *

TBC

Author's Notes: Well, there you have it, Kuronue's words of wisdom. :P Poor Kagome, she's going to be so corrupted after this. Anyway, thanks for the kind reviews! It's nice to know what readers think. :) Hopefully, I'll be able to reintroduce Youko next chapter.


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